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Nattie drank Random Steepings by Various Artists

681 tasting notes

I finished off my oldest two Bird&Blend teas together, the only ones I had left that still had the old Bluebird branding and ‘packed by Teabird Mike’ on the front. One of them, Dark Choc Chilli Chai, I was holding on to because I really liked it. The other, Terry’s Tea, I was holding onto because I strongly disliked it and really didn’t want to finish it. Originally the plan was to brew them together extra strong and turn it into a latte, but when I tipped out the rest of the pouch of Dark Choc Chilli Chai it turned out a lot of what was left was chocolate flakes rather than tea. I didn’t think it would be strong enough to latte, so I’m drinking it black instead.

As you might expect from combining a tea you love and one you hate, the resulting cup is okay to middling. The DCCC adds a rich chocolate note which Terry’s was missing, and the spices sort of overpower the hibiscus, which I think might be the main reason I didn’t like Terry’s Tea to begin with. The oily, artificial orange note I didn’t like in Terry’s is still present enough to make this cup less enjoyable, but essentially what I’m getting is a decent cup of tea with an unpleasant sour orange note which doesn’t linger (unlike the delicious chocolate and chilli heat from the DCCC). Considering I didn’t have enough of the DCCC left to fully enjoy my final cup, I think I made the right decision in using it to make my final cup of Terry’s Tea more palatable. Final rating for the combo: 56.

Dark Choc Chilli Chai has gone back on my wishlist, to be replenished as soon as I allow myself to place a B&B order, while Terry’s Tea languishes in a pit of Never Again.

DOUBLE SIPDOWN!!! bringing me to 240/400.

Preparation

Boiling 3 min, 45 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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2 comments

Martin Bednář
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And I was eyeing for it, but decided against as it was kind of crazy blend for me :)
But sipping down two teas while drinking one is great though :D

Nattie
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Haha it was a nice bonus. I definitely recommend Dark Choc Chilli Chai, but I’d advise against Terry’s Tea! (:

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Comments

Martin Bednář
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And I was eyeing for it, but decided against as it was kind of crazy blend for me :)
But sipping down two teas while drinking one is great though :D

Nattie
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Haha it was a nice bonus. I definitely recommend Dark Choc Chilli Chai, but I’d advise against Terry’s Tea! (:

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Bio

I first got into loose leaf teas when a friend of mine showed me Cara McGee’s Sherlock fandom blends on Adagio a good few years back, but they weren’t on sale in the UK so I started trying other kinds instead and have been hooked for almost three years (and have purchased several fandom tea sets including the Sherlock one I lusted over for so long).

Flavoured teas make up the majority of my collection, but I’m growing increasingly fond of unflavoured teas too. I usually reach for a black, oolong or white tea base over a pu’erh or green tea, though I do have my exceptions. I will update my likes and dislikes as I discover more about my palate, but for now:

Tea-likes: I’m generally easily pleased and will enjoy most flavours, but my absolute favourites are maple, caramel, chestnut, pecan, raspberry, coconut, blueberry, lemon, pumpkin, rose, hazelnut and peach

Tea-dislikes: vanilla (on its own), ginger, coriander/cilantro, cardamom, liquorice, pineapple and chocolate

I am a 25 year old bartender, English Literature sort-of-graduate and current student working towards finishing my degree. I am hoping to one day complete a masters degree in Mental Health Social Work and get a job working in care. Other than drinking, hoarding and reviewing tea, my hobbies include reading, doing quizzes and puzzles, TV watching, football/soccer (Sunderland AFC supporter and employee of my local football club), music, artsy weird makeup, and learning new things (currently British Sign Language).

I should probably also mention my tea-rating system, which seems to be much harsher than others I’ve seen on here. It’s not always concrete, but I’ll try to define it:

• 50 is the base-line which all teas start at. A normal, nothing-special industrial-type black teabag of regular old fannings would be a 50.

• 0 – 49 is bad, and varying degrees of bad. This is probably the least concrete as I hardly ever find something I don’t like.

• I have never given below a 20, and will not unless that tea is SO bad that I have to wash my mouth out after one sip. Any teas rated as such are unquestionably awful.

• This means most teas I don’t enjoy will be in the 30 – 50 range. This might just mean the tea is not to my own personal taste.

• 51+ are teas I enjoy. A good cup of tea will be in the 50 – 70 range.

• If I rate a tea at 70+, it means I really, really like it. Here’s where the system gets a little more concrete, and I can probably define this part, as it’s rarer for a tea to get there.

• 71- 80: I really enjoyed this tea, enough to tell somebody about, and will probably hang onto it for a little longer than I perhaps should because I don’t want to lose it.

• 81 – 90: I will power through this tea before I even know it’s gone, and will re-order the next time the mood takes me.

• 91 – 100: This is one of the best teas I’ve ever tasted, and I will re-order while I still have a good few cups left, so that I never have to run out. This is the crème de la crème, the Ivy League of teas.

I never rate a tea down, and my ratings are always based on my best experience of a tea if I drink it multiple times. I feel that this is fairest as many factors could affect the experience of one particular cup.

I am always happy to trade and share my teas with others, so feel free to look through my cupboard and message me if you’re interested in doing a swap. I keep it up-to-date, although this doesn’t mean I will definitely have enough to swap, as I also include my small samples.
Currently unable to swap as I’ve returned after a long hiatus to a cupboard of mostly-stale teas I’m trying to work through before I let myself purchase anything fresh

I also tend to ramble on a bit.

Location

South Shields, UK

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